Alec Guinness movie quotes

“No Arab loves the desert. We love water and green trees. There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing.”
Alec Guinness - Prince Faisal

“One day the war will be over. And I hope that the people that use this bridge in years to come will remember how it was built and who built it. Not a gang of slaves, but soldiers, British soldiers, Clipton, even in captivity.”
Alec Guinness - Colonel Nicholson

“- Commander Shears: You mean, you intend to uphold the letter of the law, no matter what it costs?
- Colonel Nicholson: Without law, Commander, there is no civilization.
- Commander Shears: That's just my point; here, there is no civilization.
- Colonel Nicholson: Then we have the opportunity to introduce it.”
William M. Holden - Shears
Alec Guinness - Colonel Nicholson

“- Colonel Saito: Do you know what will happen to me if the bridge is not built on time?
- Colonel Nicholson: I haven't the foggiest.
- Colonel Saito: I'll have to kill myself. What would you do if you were me?
- Colonel Nicholson: I suppose if I were you... I'd have to kill myself.”
Alec Guinness - Colonel Nicholson
Sessue Hayakawa - Colonel Saito

“In our obsession of original sin, we too often forget original innocence.”
Alec Guinness - Pope Innocent III

“- Marcus Aurelius: Death is in the order of things. Didn't they teach you that in school?
- Lucilla: I will not let you leave me.
- Marcus Aurelius: Is there a choice? Soon, this trickle of blood, these few bones, this net woven of nerves and arteries, will be dust. No choice.”
Alec Guinness - Marcus Aurelius
Sophia Loren - Lucilla

“You have such a gift for life, Lucilla. But I think you ask too much of it. Learn to pity. Learn to have compassion. For yourself, too. Pity and compassion for yourself.”
Alec Guinness - Marcus Aurelius

“We've had to fight long wars. Your burdens have been great. But, we come now - to the end of the road. Here, within our reach, golden centuries of peace. A true Pax Romana! Wherever you live, whatever the color of your skin, when peace is achieved, it will bring to all, all, the supreme right of Roman citizenship.”
Alec Guinness - Marcus Aurelius

“- Marcus Aurelius: When I was a child, Timonides, I had a secret fear that night would come and would never end. That we would live out our lives in total darkness. It was a small fear, then.
- Timonides: Yet, my lord Caesar, the sun always rises - and will again.
- Marcus Aurelius: So you say.”
Alec Guinness - Marcus Aurelius
James Mason - Timonides

“- Marcus Aurelius: What is another day to offer you, Timonides?
- Timonides: Warmth, life, color, people.”
Alec Guinness - Marcus Aurelius
James Mason - Timonides

“It was a great plan, except for the Human Element. So many plans fail to take into account the Human Element. Mrs. Wilberforce will always be with us. A whole army couldn't take her out. There were only 5 of us. Even with 50, 60, or even a Whole Orchestra...”
Alec Guinness - Professor Marcus

- One-Round: Are we supposed to make noises with these things? What kind o' noises?
- Louis: Who is she?
- Professor Marcus: Not "noises", One-Round, music!

Danny Green - One-Round (a.k.a. 'Mr. Lawson')
Herbert Lom - Louis (a.k.a. 'Mr. Harvey')
Alec Guinness - Professor Marcus

“- John Bigalow: I've had a few ships shot out from under me. More than my share. Three in the 1914-18 fracas, and two in 39-45. But all anybody ever asks me about is the Titanic.
- Dirk Pitt: And now I'm doing the same thing.
- John Bigalow: And you're lucky you came to the right man!”
Alec Guinness - John Bigalow
Richard Jordan - Dirk Pitt

“It was a huge success and I got an Oscar for it, though I don’t think it made an enormous difference in my career.”

Alec Guinness

“He agreed with me. What I didn’t tell him was that I just couldn’t go on speaking those bloody awful, banal lines. I’d had enough of the mumbo-jumbo. I shrivel up every time someone mentions Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) to me.”

Alec Guinness On George Lucas

“Essentially, I'm a small-part actor who's been lucky enough to play leading roles for most of his life.”
Alec Guinness

“An actor is totally vulnerable. ”
Alec Guinness

“I don't know what else I could do but pretend to be an actor.”
Alec Guinness

“Who is more foolish? The fool or the fool that follows it?”
Alec Guinness

- Luke Skywalker: Why didn't you tell me? You told me that Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father.
- Obi-Wan: Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be the Jedi Anakin Skywalker and "became" the Sith Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So, what I told you was... (continue)(continue reading)
Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker
Alec Guinness - Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi

“- Luke Skywalker: There is still good in him.
- Obi-Wan: He's more machine now than man. Twisted and evil.”

Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker
Alec Guinness - Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi

“- Obi-Wan: You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again.
- Luke Skywalker: I can't kill my own father.
- Obi-Wan: Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.”
Alec Guinness - Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi
Mark Hamill - Luke Skywalker

“- The Chief Clerk: Kafka... I understand you fancy yourself as a writer.
- Kafka: In a small way.
- The Chief Clerk: You should find a more... athletic hobby. Put some color in your cheeks.”
Alec Guinness - The Chief Clerk
Jeremy Irons - Kafka

“- Adela: I do so hate mysteries.
- Fielding: We English do.
- Mrs. Moore: I rather like mysteries - but I rather dislike muddles.
- Fielding: A mystery is only a high-sounding term for a muddle. Me and the professor know that India is a muddle.
- Godbole: Agreed, I am sorry to say.”
Judy Davis - Adela
James Fox - Fielding
Peggy Ashcroft - Mrs. Moore
Alec Guinness - Godbole

“Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
Alec Guinness - Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi